10 Days!

It's true.  Only 10 days left until I am off to Walt Disney World with Matt, Barbara, and Ben.  Not that I'm bragging or anything.  Haha!  I'm just really really excited to get the heck out of Michigan.  I can't lie.  This weather has been getting me down!  I'm sick for the second time in a month and I have only moved from my couch today to go to the bathroom and find the Wii remote when I lose it in the couch cushions.  I remembered this morning was my 10 day mark so I got on Disney's website to check-in only to have it give me an error message multiple times telling me that I didn't enter all of the fields in yellow.  Such bull.  I'll try later I suppose but if I don't get to do online check-in then it won't be that big of a deal. 

Barbara and Ben came to visit us and we went to an orchard and a few wineries.  Super fun.  Anyhoo, while they were here we watched a few of the Disney Parks films on Netflix.  Then when they went home they watched more of them.  I get texts from Barbara about random Disney things like cupcakes and "rarely known" Disney details.  It's cool because I can see her "getting it" already.  I cannot wait to watch Barbara and Ben's faces!  I could truly cry just thinking about it.

I started making window decorations for our window at Caribbean Beach Resort!  I can't wait to show you all pictures!  I'm almost done.  Yay!  I know some people hate when other guests decorate windows but my response is... if you don't like it then just keep walking.  I think it's gonna be fun!

I got our yellow Magical Express tags in the mail and while it was super exciting the lady that took my flight info must not have saved it because the papers didn't have any info on them.  So, I need to call the DME number and have them take care of it.  

I found out this weekend some very disheartening and crushing Disney related news.  They changed the menu at 50's Prime Time Cafe.  They took away the tuna casserole that I was insanely excited about trying.  Now my only two options are vegetarian meatballs and pasta (I can eat that at home) and fish of the day.  The salmon would have been an option but they made it all mushroomy which would make me spew vomit.  No thanks.  Oh well... nothing I can do.  Maybe I'll luck out and they'll have tuna as the fish of the day.  

The big news that rocked the Disney world (no pun intended) is the announcement of Avatarland.  I could have written an entire entry on this story but I can sum up how I feel about it pretty quickly.  I'm known to speak my mind and not hold back so here goes.  While I have no doubt that Disney and James Cameron is going to do a great job on this land, I think that the money could have been spent elsewhere. And yes, I am one of those that believes that Avatarland would have fit better into Disney's Hollywood Studios.  I see where Disney is going with the concept in Animal Kingdom but I have my doubts about a proper fit.  I've seen Avatar once and it was good, not great.  Now I know so many people LOVE it which I think will be insanely profitable for Disney.  Finally people will start to see Animal Kingdom as a whole day park and maybe they can even extend the park hours.  Disney is now competing with Universal Studios and they mega Harry Potter land that they have.  Universal cornered a huge market and you've gotta give them credit.  Disney is trying to up their game.  All in all though I feel like it's a lackluster idea and there could have been something much cooler hiding inside of Disney's secret idea lair.  I don't want to see Disney going away from a classic "Disney feel."  That's my biggest fear.  

Will update you guys again before the trip!  10 Days!!

Fashion in Walt Disney World

Some might say I like to look nice.  This is true.  But, at Walt Disney World, being comfortable comes first.  There is a balance that a lady likes to find when touring around parks in 90 degree weather.  Between sweating and... more sweating it's not always a comfortable situation.  Still, there are ways to survive and look awesome while staying cool and comfy.

Let's take a look at the first area most people think of when it comes to "what to wear at Disney."  Shoes.  I hate shoes.  It's obvious if you look at how few shoes I own and especially obvious if you look at how few shoes I wear on a regular basis.  When I'm in the park I don't wear tennis shoes.  Most people do, I know.  But, tennis shoes don't match my outfits.  Instead, I have found a balance with Crocs.  Crocs breathe.  Crocs aren't uncomfortable if they get wet.  But, let's face it.  Some Crocs are ugly.  I love the flats and the flip flops.  I have my eye on a new sandal though, the Sexi Flip.

Some people have issues with Crocs rubbing but I never have.  I make sure that they are slightly sloppy.  That's what they suggest that you buy anyway.  Back before I had Crocs I'd wear Old Navy's cheap flip-flops.  My feet hurt a little but at least I was blister free.  NOTHING is worse than feeling like you can't go on because of blisters forming.

As far as the rest of the outfit goes... I like to keep it fashionably casual.  I wear a lot of sundresses, rompers, and shorts and tank top outfits.  Sundresses are perfect because they keep all my lady parts light and airy.  TMI?  Sure, but I'm being honest.  Rompers are nice because it's one piece and they are normally really lightweight.  The only downside is having to pull them down all the way to go to the bathroom which results in you basically being naked while doing your business.  As far as shorts and tank tops/t-shirts go I am not a huge fan of wearing denim shorts since they tend to make me really hot.  I like lightweight shorts.  Not gym shorts.  Sort of a khaki material.  If I do wear denim shorts then they can't be skin tight or I'll just feel sweaty and chubby the entire day.  I just bought a new romper, maxi dress, and a sundress from Forever 21 a month ago in preparation for the trip.

In October the weather is still pretty hot during the day and the nights CAN be a bit chilly so I always come prepared with a sweater/cardigan of some sort to throw on over a dress or tank top.  I also always bring a hoodie.  Hoodies are lifesavers when it's windy too.  Along with my dresses I make sure to have a pair of black leggings with me in case I get a little cold.  It saves me from having to change the entire outfit.

Okay, Disney World is not a fashion show and you'll pretty much see everything walking around when you're there.  I've seen women in 5 inch heels and guys in overalls.  The sky is the limit but you should know that the sky sometimes tends to be disastrous.  Still, I'm a gal that likes to look presentable in pictures and even a little cute.  If you're a woman and your goal is to look "sexy" at any point during your trip... May I just smack you now?  No one, not even Beyonce, looks like a cover girl taking a plunge into the briar patch on Splash Mountain.  I have no one to really impress while I'm at Disney World so my level of caring is a lot lower than if I am going out to a nice dinner around town where I'll actually see people that I know.

A very famous quote from The Office sums it up nicely, "Keep It Simple Stupid."  

Disney Called!

I got a call from Disney today while I was at work and gave them a call back on my lunch.  I spoke with the very nice cast member, Yolanda.  I basically retold my story to her.  She informed me that well, basically every single cast member that we spoke with was wrong in one way or another.  A HUGE amount of bad training caused cast members to think that Friends and Family could receive a dining plan discount.  Apparently that is never true.  Only cast members can actually receive a discount on this.  Good to know.

Yolanda extended the offer to allow us to pay full price for the dining plan.  She began to plug numbers so I told her that I had already booked us a reservation with the Free Dining promotion offered to the public.  She decided to compare the prices for us with using the cast member 40% off room discount and paying for the dining plan, to the Free Dining promotion.  We were saving about $400 going with the Free Dining promotion over the room discount so we stuck with what we had.  Yolanda cancelled our cast member discount reservation for us.  She also downgraded our room back to a standard view at Caribbean Beach Resort so we could get the difference that we had to pay to upgrade in order to have Free Dining.  This was much appreciated because the Pirate Room did not appeal to me for many reasons.  Yolanda took my room location request (Jamaica) and she also told me that she put us down for an upgrade at no charge if one is available upon check in.  Whether this means an upgrade to a preferred location or a... deluxe resort... I'd be satisfied.  This was very nice of her to do this.

I'm pleased with the way the issue was handled.  Yolanda explained everything to me as to why the misinformation was given and she also strived to make it up to us.  She was very polite and treated me with respect.  While the inconvenience we endured was stressful, I'm alright with how it turned out and so is everyone else in my traveling party.

Now we're just waiting for Mickey Mail! Yay!

I Condede. Or Do I?

Barbara and I decided to have the dreaded discussion yesterday of what to do if push comes to shove and we're backed into a corner to make a decision on this dining plan matter.  I number crunched and number crunched.  Contrasted and compared.  I analyzed every option until I was blue in the face.  While I could type everything out for you to go over for yourselves I just don't feel like putting the energy forth to lay down the groundwork but I can tell you that we made a decision.

We'd decided to drop the cast member discount and book a "Free Dining" package.  During Barbara's initial call to Disney and getting a quote at the only value resort available, All Star Sports, the cast member told her that it would only cost $44.00 to upgrade all four of us to park hopper tickets.  HAHA!  You can laugh along with me... go ahead.  It's hilarious how wrong he was but whatever.

I decided to find out how much more it would be to stay at Caribbean Beach Resort and do Free Dining.  Believe it or not, it was still a deal compared to eating out of pocket.  I even questioned my math and ran numbers twice and still came up with the same outcome.  I gave Disney a call after I got back from the gym and they got a higher priced quote then what I came up with myself.  Reason being... the only thing available at ANY moderate is a Pirate Themed room.  I was trying to stay away from the Pirate rooms!  Grrr!!  I got off the phone and did a little more math.

Somehow, Free Dining still came out on top.  I booked it.

I booked that package not knowing what Disney is going to be able to do for me regarding the cast member discount issue.  I booked in fear that if we waited any longer we wouldn't be able to get any type of discount at all.  I really wanted to make this vacation happen and I just wanted all this madness to be over with.

While I'm still anticipating a phone call from Disney to discuss the troubles I've had, I feel relieved knowing that it's all done and settled.  Time to get excited again!

Disney World in 43 Days!

I Should Write Complaint Letters For A Living

To update all of you on our complicated situation... you can just read this awesome complaint email that I just sent to Disney.  I honestly want this to be over.

To Whom This May Concern,


I've recently encountered some of the most horrible, confusing, stressful customer service by your company and I feel that I should voice my concern with you in hopes that something can be reconciled from this matter.

On July 10th, my traveling party booked a reservation with a discount via a cast member friend. When we called to book, we requested to visit your resort within a time frame that included a discount on the Disney Dining Plan as well as we are traveling on a tight budget. We were told by the Disney booking agent that the window for booking the dining plan at that time hadn't opened yet and we'd have to call back on August 13th to add it and we'd either get 40% or 50% off. We thought, "Great!"

Upon calling back on the 13th, we were told that there was a blackout period over our reservation dates and the cast member that we spoke with could not help us any further and ended our conversation even after we offered to pay full price for the Disney Dining Plan. Even with us trying to be reasonable and find a solution, we were rebuffed.

Hoping that this was an error on the cast members part we tried again the next day and this time we were told that the offers just hadn't come up yet and to keep trying to back frequently so we can book it when it does. 3 tries later, same answer over and over again.

Today, August 22nd, I called and spoke with a cast member that said all we would have to do is upgrade our room at Caribbean Beach Resort to a water view or Pirate Theme and we could receive the dining plan discount. I got the promo code from him and told him that I'd have to check with my other traveling companions to make sure that the upgrade would be okay with them. Upon calling back, the next Disney booking agent informed me that the promo code that was given to us was for Cast Members only and not Friends and Family. Once again, another very frustrating dead end.

We booked these specific dates to travel to the Walt Disney World Resort BECAUSE we could receive a discount on the Disney Dining Plan. To change our travel dates NOW would incur a $150 fee with our airline per ticket. We'd also have to rearrange all of our dining reservations that we have already worked so hard to get. We literally cannot budge on our travel dates and also cannot afford to dine like we have planned being off of the Disney Dining Plan.

As a frequent guest of Walt Disney World Resort since 1997, I have never ever encountered such trouble and headache. I write for TouringPlans.com, a well known Disney travel website, and upon speaking with hundreds of other Disney guests, I have not heard of such difficulties. This is becoming a nightmare for my entire traveling party. We have two guests in our party that have never been to Walt Disney World before and this is not giving them the best first impression.

What we have hear is a very unacceptable situation. We would like someone to please contact us as soon as possible to discuss this matter and resolve it. Our reservation number is ************. You can contact me at this email address or at ***-***-****  at any time.

Thank you very much for your time and understanding. I look forward to hearing from you.

Stroke of Genius

Today, while browsing some Disney sites just like every morning... I had a lightbulb go off above my head.  I thought of something that I want to research and write about while down at Disney World. 

On a trip to WDW last October, I snuck a peak at the ordering screen at Pecos Bills in Magic Kingdom and I noticed some options for vegetarians that aren't listed on the menu.  I noticed a veggie wrap and a veggie taco salad.  These things aren't even talked about on the vegetarian thread on the DIS.  It made me wonder what OTHER things are available for vegetarians and vegans at other counter service restaurants.

I'd like to make it a point to visit as many counter service restaurants as I can and ask around to see what I can find out that might be new and exciting for those of us with dietary restrictions.  I used to walk by counter service restaurants, peak my head in, and if I didn't see anything on the main menu that appealed to me, I'd just keep walking.  Now I know better.  Every counter service restaurant has something vegetarian and even vegan available but you just have to ask about it sometimes.  Some places are more accomodating than others and that just depends on what ingredients they have on hand.

I figure I'll buy a small journal that I can carry with me in my bag for all of my little research topics.  If I have sections set up and a pen ready then I'm more likely to take the time to write when I get a chance.  I never stop anywhere or waste time by writing.  I just make notes in a slow queue or during a meal.  Any down time that I may have.

To update you on the dining plan ordeal... still nothing yet.  But, I haven't called since Tuesday.  I'm planning to call tomorrow since that will be one week since they inititally told us to call back.  My biggest fear at this point is getting the "blackout" excuse again.  I have hope that we can get this like we were promised but I just have to be persistant. 

Matt and I have to send for our "Disney Dollars" from our Disney Visa here within the next couple of weeks.  So far we have 27 Disney Dollars to spend.  That will buy us some trading pins or a handful of items at the Food and Wine Festival booths.  Yay for extra money!

"Issue" Update

I got a text from Barbara telling me that her cast member friend, Amber, just booked the dining plan for the same weekend that we are going for herself.  With much hope I called up the cast line and got in touch with someone right away.  She was wonderful and within a few minutes she was able to tell me that right now there are no Friends & Family discounts for the dining plan available right now but to try back soon.  She explained that they don't even know when discounts happen and sometimes they come into work in the morning and find out about something new.

This makes me feel better knowing that I've gotten this answer a few times now.  For me the "blackout" excuse we'd gotten before is becoming less of the truth but I'm not 100% sure.  I still will keep trying back every single day until we figure this out.  I really hope that the discount comes up for us to book sometime soon so I can put this all out of my mind and get my excitement back.

In other news.... BabyCakes NYC now has sign out on their building!  They exist!  I miss their treats and can't wait to get them in a few short months.